Chocolate tart recipe
This chocolate tart doesn't really come into the category of healthy eating, but sometimes only a lovely indulgent pudding will do! Anyway it is much healthier than having a shop bought cake as you know exactly what has gone into it. I have made it with a pastry base, but you could always swop that for a cheesecake style biscuit base. As always my photos don't do it justice - it really is delicious with some ice-cream and cream. Go on - enjoy every mouthful.



Ingredients
For the pastry
1. 100g plain flour
2. 50g butter
3. 1 tablespoon of cocoa or cacao powder
For the filling
1. 70g dark chocolate (I chose sea salt, but plain is good).
2. 70g butter
3. 3 tablespoons of cacao or cocoa powder
4. 3 eggs
5. 125g caster sugar
6. 1 tablespoon of maple syrup or golden syrup
7. 2 tablespoons of double cream
Method
- Heat the oven to 175 degrees C.
- Grease and line an 8inch/21cm loose-bottom sandwich tin.


3. Measure the 100g flour, 50g butter and tablespoon of cacao into a food processor.
4. Process for about 10-15 seconds on high until it resembles very fine breadcrumbs.
5. If you don't have a food processor, rub the butter into the flour with your fingers and add the cacao afterwards.
6. With the motor running, very slowly pour a few tablespoons of water onto the dry ingredients in the food processor.
7. Stop adding water when the dough has formed.


8. Roll out the dough on a floured surface and use it to line the tin. Prick the base with a fork.
9. Cut a piece of baking paper or greaseproof paper large enough to fit in the pastry case and and scrunch it up, then open it out and use it to line the pastry (see photo). Pour in baking beans or rice to hold down the paper and the pastry.
10. Bake for 15 minutes, then remove the paper and beans and bake for another 5 minutes.
11. Trim off any excess pastry.


12. Place the broken up chocolate, butter and cacao (for the filling) into a bowl on top of a saucepan of water.
13. Heat gently until most of it is melted.
14. Then give it a stir at the end to mix it all together.
15. Put the eggs and sugar in a bowl.
16. Whisk until they are light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). It won't get thick but should be a bit frothy.
17. Add the syrup and cream and whisk for another minute.



18. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the eggs/sugar mixture and stir well.
19. Pour into the pastry case.
20. Cook at 160 degrees C for 30-40 minutes until the top forms a crust. It will probably crack a little.


21. Leave to cool for about 15 minutes and remove the tart from the sandwich tin.
22. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar.
23. Serve with ice-cream and/or cream.
24. Enjoy!